


The Android and I

by Rheaird_of_Life



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: F/F, and the convos will likely go in random directions, but i'm still going to try and keep them more or less in character, this will probably only be semi serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8057383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rheaird_of_Life/pseuds/Rheaird_of_Life
Summary: Through a series of personal conversations and interactions, Two and The Android grow ever closer. Do they graduate from friends to lovers?Set post S2...so I'd recommend being caught up before reading.





	1. What's in a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know what the hell to call this so the title may change at some point. Anyway, here's to the start of a beautiful...something.

Normally Two didn't like bothering people with personal questions, but when it came to The Android, she couldn't seem to help herself lately. Ever since the upgrade had been installed, she had been different, even when it was in hibernation mode. Plus, seeing her all dolled up for that mission months ago, hearing about what she had said and done after the fact, had made her look at The Android in a whole new light. She was totally badass now. Well, she had always been badass, but now she was even more so. Now she was... _intriguing_ for an entirely different reason.

Physical relationships with robots were frowned upon, if not down right illegal. At least, where ship androids were concerned. The black market sex bots, well, that was an entirely different story. And she wasn't saying she wanted to have sex with The Android, she was just thinking about it now, where she had never considered the possibility before. Two wasn't about to just proposition her randomly though, she wanted to get to know her better first. To see if that was something she might ever consider herself. In any capacity. With anyone.

It wasn't so strange, right? Her and The Android? She wasn't exactly born and bred the same way that a typical human was. She wasn't exactly human. Not really. A real human would have died ten times over with the things that had happened to her. They were basically the same, right?

They were both on the bridge. Alone. Neither of them had spoken for some time. If she didn't know any better, she'd think The Android was asleep on her feet. But she did know better. The Android was probably running diagnostics for something or other. She pretty much always was. Even so, Two decided to bring up something that had been bothering both her and Five.

She swiveled around in her seat at the helm. “Android.”

“Yes, Two?” she said almost immediately.

“What do you think about the concept of identity?”

Predictably, she launched into a definition. “Identity is defined as a sense of self, generally only thought to be attributed to sentient beings, such as humans. As well-”

Two metaphorically waved her off. “Specifically in regards to yourself? _Your_ identity.”

The Android gave her that blank stare that bordered on creepy. “My identity?”

“Yes,” said Two patiently. “How do you see yourself?”

“I don't know. I haven't given it much thought.”

That seemed to be the end of the conversation so Two prompted, “Well, why don't you? Give it some thought, I mean. You should know who you are.”

“I do know who I am,” said The Android, seemingly contradictory to her previous statement. “I am the ships android and I oversee all manner of-”

“For starters,” interrupted Two, starting to regret opening up this line of discourse, “does it bother you at all to just be called Android?”

“Why should it?” she asked in a slightly perplexed manner. “That's my name.”

“No, it's not,” pushed Two. “That's just a label. To keep you separate. To dehumanize you. To remind both sides that you're not the same. It's _not_ your name.”

The Android stared at her and then said, “It is my understanding that humans designated with numbers are generally thought to be dehumanized. And yet you and the rest of the crew kept those designations even after you learned of your real identities. How is that any different?”

Okay, maybe they were finally getting somewhere after all. “You just said it yourself. Choice. We _chose_ to keep them. We didn't want to be associated with those identities anymore. We evolved. Just like you have.”

When The Android again didn't seem inclined to respond, Two got out of her chair and walked over to her. She refrained from laying a hand on her shoulder. “You're part of the team now. More than ever. You should have your own name too. If you want. I leave it up to you to decide.”

And then she left the bridge wondering how in the hell she thought an intimate relationship between them was even in the realm of possibility. It was much more likely she'd hook up with Three again (out of desperation) than start something with an android.

* * *

 

A few hours later, while she was sitting in bed, reading, she got a summons at her door. It was pretty late, she hoped nothing was amiss. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with another catastrophe right now, not when the book was getting so good.

“Come in,” she called. She only locked the door once she was asleep or off ship.

The door slid to the side and there stood the Android in her threshold. Without preamble she said, “I believe I have a name.”

Two put her tablet aside. She honestly hadn't expected that conversation to produce an actual result.

“That's great,” Two said with a soft smile.

The Android just continued to stand there with her hands behind her back.

“Are you going to tell me or should I guess?” joked Two.

“Seven,” said the android simply. “I wish to be called Seven from this point forth.”

She felt irrationally happy that The Andro-, that Seven was coming into her own now. It was a tiny step in the right direction, or at least something different than the norm. And that thrilled her.

Two grinned. “Part of the team.”

“Yes,” replied Seven.

“Well, it's late,” said Two, “so I'll inform the rest of the crew of this change tomorrow morning during our daily briefing.” Then she thought better of what she'd just said. “Or _you_ could tell them. It's your name after all.”

“Okay,” said Seven with a slight smile. Then she turned around and left.

Two just smiled wider, shaking her head.

Maybe there was hope for them yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this probably isn't a very popular ship, but they're my two favourite characters in the show (with Nyx, Ryo and Five right after) so I thought I'd do something with them. More or less I had a dream last night where they were discussing a bunch of things and then felt compelled to put fingers to keyboard. So if there's actually interest in this, I'll definitely continue. And if there isn't, I'll definitely continue...but it'll probably be a longer wait as I've got another fic I need to finally finish.


	2. Personify

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I can't believe I'm only finding this out now but Melissa O'Neil (Two) WON the third season of Canadian Idol when we had it here briefly and is apparently a huge musical theatre geek and was in a Toronto production of Les Mis (among others)! She was 16 at the time she won CI, so she must have been pretty good. I don't know why I'm losing my damn mind over this but I just like can't picture her doing pop stuff and musicals lol. It looks like she only ever made the one album but now I have to go check it out! It's self titled in case you were wondering. And also she sang 'Alive' which sounds sooo damn familiar, it must have been a big hit here 11 years ago. And now I love her like a billion times more and REALLY need a musical episode of Dark Matter! (Zoie Palmer also sings, or at least she did in an episode of Lost Girl). XD
> 
> Anyway, I suppose you want to actually read this thing so I'll stop fangirling now...

Now that a name had been established, it was time to unlock more of Seven's identity. Two was hardly an expert in this area – frankly, she wasn't quite sure who _she_ was herself – but she was going to give it a try anyway.

When they were fueled, stocked up and on their way again from the latest port on the outskirts of the galaxy, Two opened up their second line of personal discourse in the past week. Once more, they were alone and on the bridge together. There wasn't any need for segue's with Seven, so she just jumped right in.

"So, Seven, have you given any more thought to your identity and how you see yourself?"

Besides having this conversation with Seven, she really had no reason to be on the bridge at the moment, so she sat at one of the side consoles, pretending to be occupied.

Seven looked over at her from the middle of the bridge where she generally stood immobile as a statue and said, "Yes, Two, I have."

"And?" prompted Two further. "What did you conclude?"

"That I have insufficient data to form an accurate analysis. My memory stores from my initial activation were erased when you reset my programming." This wasn't said in an accusatory manner, simply stating a fact. "There has not been enough time since then to accumulate enough salient points of reference to adequately speculate on the totality of my character."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Two. "Because I can think of a number of occasions where you proved yourself and showed us what you're made of." Seven just stared at her, apparently waiting for her to continue. It was a good thing they had built in the need for her to blink every once in awhile. Otherwise Two wouldn't be able to maintain eye contact for very long without getting creeped out. "You've fixed or improved pretty much every system on this ship, most of which were critical for our survival. You've saved the crew more than once with your expert piloting of the Raza. You even managed to pinpoint that attack on Zairon so that no innocents were killed."

"You have described instances in which I was following my programming or your orders, not instances that dictate my character. This is an important distinction."

"Fine, I see your point," continued Two, thinking some more. "What about when you chose to go out into that electrical storm to change the capacitor? I didn't order you to do that. Or when you voluntarily came down to the Dwarf Star technologies base to save my ass from Rook? In both of those instances, you put yourself at risk to save someone else. That shows that you're brave and selfless. _You_ , and not just your programming."

"Two points of reference are hardly sufficient data to determine those attributes."

"Okay, and how many points of reference would you need before you could conclude that you were selfless?"

"Approximately forty-three."

Two refrained from rolling her eyes.

"I do however have enough points of reference to determine two of my key characteristics with certainty."

"And what would those be?"

"That I am dangerous and malicious and exhibit signs of psychopathy. In the short time since I was reset, I have hurt, maimed and killed enough individuals to ascertain this."

Understandably, Two was upset that this was how Seven primarily saw herself, and attempted to dissuade her of the notion. "Yeah, but those were acts of defense. To protect yourself or others. You're not malicious."

"The data doesn't lie," responded Seven impassively, though her lips pressed together slightly, apparently in some agitation. "I intended to do harm and I then acted out the impulses numerous times to great effect."

"You intended to do harm, but you were ordered to." She felt guilty even as she said it. How many times had she forced Seven to do something she didn't want to do? "There's a difference. You just said so. And you didn't enjoy it, right?"

Two tapped her finger on the console before her when Seven didn't respond. In a way this refusal to see the good in herself was like a bizarre form of low self-esteem, though she supposed it was perfectly logical for an android.

"Look, I've killed my fair share of people too since the stasis pod incident..." she paused for a second, closing her eyes and reliving some of the more gruesome moments, "but I did it in self defense. It was them or me."

She left out the part where she killed Corso in cold blood. For revenge. She had never really elaborated to the crew how that altercation had gone down. Just that Corso was dead. She didn't regret what she had done, but she couldn't help but see his face sometimes in her dreams, right after she did it. Then she imagined it was One she had killed instead and woke up in a cold sweat...metaphorically that is. Just like Seven, she didn't actually sweat. Her nanites constantly controlled her internal body temperature so that sort of thing wasn't necessary.

"Do you think _I'm_ malicious?" asked Two. She remembered what the scientist on the Dwarf Star base had said about her brain scans when she escaped that first time. "Do you think I'm a psychopath? That I don't feel anything when I kill people? That I'm cold, cruel and calculating?"

Seven didn't answer for so long that Two was afraid of what was going to come out of her mouth, that Seven was about to confirm her worst fears. "While it's true that you have displayed those characteristics, Two, I do not believe that you are devoid of emotion. I believe you truly do care about the members of this crew...myself included, and that you would not intentionally do us harm."

"So there you go," breathed out Two, with a small smile. "If you think that about me, you have no choice but to think that about yourself. It's only logical."

Seven blinked a few times as she regarded her and contemplated her words. Then her lips quirked up into a slight smile too.

Yes, they were definitely making some progress.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will hopefully be getting updated on a more frequent basis now. But I make no promises.


	3. Game On

With Seven's sense of self more or less determined through further conversation - that is to say, she now considered herself with equal amounts of acceptance, loathing, and self doubt, like any average person would - they could now move on to establishing less heavy aspects of her character.

This time they were in the mess hall, sharing a drink together. Two didn't really care much for hot chocolate herself, but for whatever reason Seven did, so she suffered in amicable silence.

“What do you do, Seven, when you're not monitoring the ship?” she asked after taking a tiny sip. She refrained from grimacing at the too sweet substance.

“Unless I sever my neural link, I'm always monitoring the ship, Two,” Seven replied in some puzzlement.

“We both know you can do more than one task at a time,” continued Two, “and you don't need to sleep, so you _must_ do something else with your time.”

Seven opened her mouth and Two added, “Besides recharging.”

Seven closed her mouth and inhaled her hot chocolate in clear satisfaction. “Sometimes I train with Ryo's swords.”

That took Two aback. “Aren't you already an expert swordsman?”

“Yes,” agreed Seven. Then she took a massive gulp of the too hot liquid, that would easily have burned a human. “As I explained to Ryo some time ago, I find that repeating certain physical actions generates new and unusual patterns in my neural matrix. In layman's terms, it makes me feel good.”

Two contemplated that revelation for a moment, getting unexpectedly excited at the mention of 'physical actions'. “So that's why you drink so much hot chocolate? You get continuous enjoyment out of it?”

“Of course,” replied Seven, again confused, as if she had thought this was obvious. And Two supposed it was considering Seven had no need to consume sustenance, but for some reason, she just hadn't quite grasped this concept. Probably because she still thought of Seven as a machine first and foremost, that didn't fall prey to the usual indulgences of humans.

The idea that Seven not only appeared to find genuine pleasure in things but also liked to _repeat_ these things over and over again, was very appealing to Two, and she contemplated pushing her luck right now, but ultimately decided against it.

“What else do you like to do?”

“For some months I played poker with Three when he couldn't sleep and none of the other crew were available.”

Two nearly spit out her hot chocolate. “You're kidding?”

Seven looked at her blankly and said, “I don't know how to 'kid', Two.”

“Right,” said Two. “Anyway, how did that go?”

“Despite what Three claimed, he had several tells - most notably his elevated heart rate when he was bluffing - and I invariably always won. Even after I agreed to stop monitoring his vital signs, he claimed I was still cheating and refused to play with me further.”

Two snorted. Seven had definitely been cheating, knowingly or otherwise, but just the concept of the two of them playing poker together was highly amusing to her. And the fact that Three kept getting his ass handed to him. It was good for him to get knocked down a peg every once in awhile; his ego could be absolutely obnoxious. Which was in large part why she was hoping to avoid having to sleep with him again out of sheer desperation. He knew he was talented in that area. She couldn't stand that smug look of his every time she showed up at his door.

As to other potential partners, Emperor Ishida Ryo was locked up on Zairon at the moment because the old and new personalities had warred with each other until he had gone completely insane and become even more dangerously unpredictable. Six wasn't interested in her that way, or any woman it seemed. Five was just a kid, and she thought of her as her little sister, so Two wasn't about to go there, ever. Thanks to Seven, Nyx had survived the poison attack. However, she left the ship shortly after she recovered, and it had been weeks since Two had last seen her, and would likely be months before she saw her again, _if_ she ever did. Besides Seven, there was literally no one else on the ship that she had any real desire to sleep with.

Sure she could pretty easily pick someone up at a bar whenever they docked, but those brief encounters weren't really that satisfying for her, and they were so infrequent as to be utterly useless even if they had been. And yeah, she had a vibrator, but that wasn't really cutting it anymore, either. She needed real human-like connection.

“Do you play games with anyone else?” she wondered. This line of dialogue had already been more interesting than she was expecting. She had thought Seven would simply give her a boring list of other things that weren't strictly to do with ship maintenance, but that would hardly be distinguishable for the non-technologically inclined.

“I have on occasion enjoyed a game of chess with Four, Five and Six.”

“Surely not at all once?” joked Two.

Seven blinked and said, “That wasn't the usual mode of play, but yes, they did attempt to beat me once using a combined intellectual effort.”

“I take it they still weren't successful,” grinned Two.

“No, they weren't,” agreed Seven, without a hint of gloating. “They however did not accuse me of cheating. Five and Six have since established a 'bet' to see who can best me in chess first. It has been a long standing wager.”

Two gestured between them. “We'll have to have a match someday. I've never actually played chess, at least that I can remember, but I have a pretty good feeling I'd be able to win.”

“That is unlikely,” said Seven, staring at her like she were a very inept listener. “As I have just explained, I have never been beaten.”

She continued to tease her. “Your lucks got to run out some time, Seven.”

Now Seven looked at her with obvious concern for her mental capacity. “Luck has nothing to do with my winning streak, Two. Similar to Nyx's ability, I am able to analyze and anticipate many moves ahead of my opponent. They would need a similar neural matrix to my own in order to pose a significant threat.”

“Well, you could always _let_ me win then.”

Perfectly scandalized, Seven said, “I'm afraid I don't understand why I would do that, Two. The purpose of such strategy games is to stimulate and challenge the mind. If I simply allowed my opponents to win, what feasible reason would there be for endeavouring to play in the first place?”

“Everyone likes to win once in awhile, Seven. When they don't, they tend to lose interest and won't play with you in future.”

Seven thought about that for a second. “I did enjoy poker. It was surprisingly...fun. Perhaps I will attempt to get Three to agree to another round and then lose on purpose.”

“Let's not be hasty,” said Two, regretting her advice. She so did not want to have to listen to him gloating about beating the android. He barely ever called her by her chosen name, yet another reason she was annoyed with him recently. “If you're really desperate to play poker, we could play together.”

_Strip poker_ , she thought unbidden. A little bit of heat coursed through her. Two shifted in her seat subtly, crossing her legs.

Seven regarded her some more. “Which would you rather play, Two? Chess or poker?”

“How about both, Seven?” She smirked. “Do you think you're up to the challenge?”

“I'm afraid you will not be much of a challenge for me, Two. By your own admission, you don't even know the rules of one of the games. The likelihood of your success is almost negligible.”

Was Seven inadvertently smack talking her? Whatever was happening here, Two liked it.

“And that's why I'll win,” replied Two smugly. “I don't play by the rules.”

Seven frowned. “You must play by the rules, Two. That is why they exist.”

Two chuckled, puzzling Seven even more. “Okay, fine. I'll learn how to play these games and then we'll have a match or two. Does that sound acceptable?”

“Yes, Two,” said Seven, her face relaxing, “it does.” Seven finished up the rest of her hot chocolate and when she noticed Two had barely touched hers asked if she could have it too. “The last time I simply took Five's beverage from her hands and consumed it, she was not very appreciative. I'm trying to be more conscious of consent.”

Again, a twinge of heat made itself known. “Consent is very important,” she agreed. Two bit her lip wondering if maybe now wasn't such a bad time to proposition Seven after all.

Before she could decide on a course of action, Seven stood up, and without a word, left the room. Bewildered, Two went after her. “Hey, where are you going? We were in the middle of a conversation.”

“We were?” said Seven, frowning again. “You had not spoken for over thirty seconds so I came to the conclusion that our conversation was concluded. If that wasn't the case, Two, I apologize. I did not mean to be...rude.” Seven folded her hands in front of her, around the cup of hot chocolate, giving Two her full attention. “What else would you like to discuss?”

The moment had passed so Two just said, “Schedule me in for ten tonight and prepare to lose.”

Seven, of course, did not lose.

 

 


	4. Illusion

“Hey, Seven, can you come down to C-Deck right now?” inquired Two through her comm.

“Of course, Two,” replied Seven from the bridge. “I'll be there presently.”

Two didn't have to wait long before Seven appeared before her. She looked between Five and Two, confused as to what the purpose of this meeting was, or why it required a face to face interaction.

Five grinned and opened the door beside them. “Welcome to your very own space, Seven.”

Seven blinked into the room and then said, “This is one of the crews sleeping quarters.” She had already known that but she wondered if perhaps her memory had been faulty for a microsecond.

“Well, yeah,” said Five. “And you're one of the crew, so we thought it made sense for you to have your own room.”

Seven looked at them blankly some more. “I don't require rest or bathing. Nor do I possess enough personal items to warrant needing an entire room with which to store them.”

Two and Five shared a look and then Two said, “About that, we were thinking you might like to go shopping at the next port town. We'll be arriving in-”

“One hour and fifty-one minutes,” finished Seven, out of habit. This entire conversation was perplexing her greatly. The likelihood that both Two and Five's brains would be malfunctioning at the same time was slim to none, especially since she had done a recent brain scan in the infirmary that had detected no abnormalities. “Androids aren't authorized to make purchases.”

“ _Regular_ androids aren't allowed to make purchases,” corrected Two, with a hint of something in her eye that Seven didn't understand. “You, however, have an upgrade that lets you pass as human. Or had you forgotten?”

“I had not,” said Seven, perfectly remembering the first and last time she had turned it on. The liberties it had afforded her had been freeing to say the least...however, she was wary of duplicating the effect, especially in a public space. Victor and the other androids may have avoided detection so far, but they were outcasts. They didn't have crews to worry about becoming targets because of their actions. The crew of the Raza had already had enough trouble with the Galactic Authority as it was. Since Inspector Kierken's untimely demise at the corporate summit's bombing, the GA had stopped pursuing them. Seven didn't wish to jeopardize this idyllic - and based on all indicators – short-lived peace. And certainly not for something as inconsequential as acquiring some personal items that she would undoubtedly have little to no use for.

“What's wrong?” asked Five, seemingly crestfallen. “I thought you'd be excited to have an excuse to use it again. You seemed to get a real kick out of it the last time. We all did.”

Though Seven was fascinated with all things human and spent a great deal of her time trying to emulate and understand them, she would rather her personality matrix be reset than put any of them in unnecessary danger.

“I'm not certain it's a wise decision to continue your quest to humanize me,” said Seven without missing a beat. Two and Five were both taken aback and shared another of their looks. “Surely you didn't think I was unaware of what you were doing? You have allowed me to choose my designation, attempted to ascertain my self perception and unique purpose through in-depth discourse, included me in various forms of game play, sparring sessions and meal times, and now are encouraging me to go clothes shopping, one of the most quintessential, if not banal, human exploits.”

Perhaps her accurate words had come across as harsher than she had intended because Five appeared to be very upset now, which upset Seven herself. She didn't like it when she was the cause of any of the crews distress. However, in this case, it was necessary to stay the course.

“I thought that's what you wanted,” said Five in an agitated manner. “You've always been so interested in everything I'm doing-”

“Interest is not the same thing as desire,” cut off Seven, using a tactic she had seen Two and Three employ often to assert dominance. “I can be interested in a great many things and not wish to personally experience them. For instance, black holes are fascinating but I would not want to find myself anywhere near one. Therefore, I thank you both for the shopping offer but decline to accept it.”

Then she turned around and left them there. She wondered how long it would be before Two contacted her. Seven was sure it was bound to happen sooner or later. Approximately eight minutes later Two entered the bridge and then just stood there staring at her back. Finally she approached and spoke.

“Are you going to tell me what that was really about? We both know you'd love nothing more than to be human. Why did you lie to Five?”

Seven looked at her impassively. “You know as well as I do that I'll always be a machine. Upgrade or not. My biology is never going to change. Pretending otherwise is a pointless pursuit.”

A flicker of understanding passed over Two's features. “You're worried about being discovered...about being destroyed.” Two put a hand on her shoulder, something she had never done before. Seven was puzzled by Two's actions, not for the first time. “You don't have to worry about that, Seven. Even if the GA found out somehow, I wouldn't let them take you.” Two smiled reassuringly. “We're friends. And friends stick together no matter what.”

Seven felt pleasure at the sentiment and the long held internal idea but still resisted being comforted. “I wouldn't be the only one at risk if I was discovered to have installed illegal technology. The GA would likely investigate other crew members as well.”

Two smiled again, though Seven thought it was forced. Contemplating one's own demise generally wasn't a cheery topic. “Well, we'll just have to keep an eye out for each other then.”

Two was gazing at her strangely once more. It had been happening more and more frequently lately. As well, her hand had yet to leave her shoulder, and in fact, her thumb was now rubbing circles there. Seven couldn't fathom what was going on in her mind. Sometimes she wished she had telepathic tendencies. It would certainly make understanding her crew members a lot easier. She already monitored all of their vital signs and had autonomy over many aspects of their lives. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Vaguely, she wondered if Victor could procure another upgrade that would allow her to have such a feature. Of course, she'd have to know _where_ he was in order to do that, and installing further illegal tech was rather counterproductive at this point considering her earlier concerns. Then again, if she was already doomed to destruction should the slightest suspicion arise, what did it really matter if she were entirely constructed of illegal tech...like Two herself?

“Two?” prompted Seven, when she didn't appear to be coming out of her trance any time soon. “Is something the matter?”

Blinking rapidly a number of times, Two finally took her hand away. “I, uh, I have to go,” she muttered, in an uncharacteristic display of feeble mindedness. Part way to the door, she turned and said, “You may be a machine, but you have more humanity than most. You should be whatever, or _whoever_ , you want to be. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.” Two made an unusual face. “ _Especially_ not Three.”

Seven wondered if she could really trust the judgment of another machine-like entity with respect to determining one's humanity. Wisely, she only nodded, and watched Two walk away.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Electric Sheep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here have a longer chap this lovely Friday night. :)

 

Two was in her room getting ready for the day when Seven contacted her. She had literally just put in her comm and turned it on. Was she that predictable?

“What's up, Seven? Is the galaxy falling apart already?”

“No, I don't believe so, Two,” answered Seven seriously. “Although, I have detected a disturbance in the nearby Cosima Quadrant that might be worthy of continued surveillance. However, given the date, I suspect that this disturbance is most likely the result of Delphinians celebrating their universal holiday using outer-planetary fireworks, which strictly speaking, are not legal.”

Two rolled her eyes, for the umpteenth time wondering if Seven actually _did_ understand the concept of joking and only pretended to play dumb. The reason for something like that eluded her, but it didn't stop her from wondering when Seven made remarks like that.

“The reason I have contacted you is to present you with a gift.”

Two stopped in her tracks. “A gift?” she questioned uncertainly.

“Yes, I believe it is customary for humans to exchange them for certain important events. In this instance, your birthday.”

“My birthday?” she echoed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Suddenly there was a knot in her stomach. She didn't get unsettled easily but this was one of those moments. Personal quandary's weren't exactly her forte. Saving the galaxy seemed a lot less daunting than introspection. “I don't have a birthday, Seven.”

At least, not one she remembered or ever wanted to celebrate.

“Technically you do, Two. Three in fact. There is the date of your creation at Dwarf Star Technologies where you were designated Rebecca. There is the falsified birth date as Portia Lin. And finally, there is the date you decided to be known as Two. By my calculations, you have been 'Two' for precisely one year.”

Not knowing how to respond to that, she didn't, and just continued to sit there as she contemplated Seven's words. Certainly the idea of celebrating her 're-birth' as Two was much more appealing than any of the other identities she had had in the past, but that still didn't mean she was particularly thrilled.

“Two?”

“If we're going by the date I chose to be Two, wouldn't that mean I now share a birthday with the rest of the crew...excluding yourself?”

“No. While you all awoke from stasis at the same time, you did not all choose to keep your current designations on the same day after learning of your real names. The rest of the crew was less decisive than you were. Therefore, their unofficial birthdays will be arriving in the days to come.”

This is what happened when you repeatedly talked to an overly logical entity about the concept of choice. They made way too big a deal about it and put you in an awkward spot, made you confront things you didn't want to confront. As if she herself hadn't been doing that lately with Seven. What a hypocrite she was.

Two rubbed at her forehead, the beginnings of a headache starting. Within ten seconds it was gone, her nanites doing their continuous and mysterious job.

She sighed silently and responded, “Okay. It's my birthday. What did you get me?”

And more importantly, _how_ did you get it?

“It is my understanding that the gift in question should remain a surprise until it is received.”

Deciding it was best to get this over with sooner rather than later, Two pushed herself into a standing position and said, “Where are you?”

“I am arriving at your door presently.”

“Great.” She walked over to her door and unlocked it.

Seven gave her a faint smile and held out a flat, rectangular parcel wrapped in black cloth and tied with a white string. “Happy birthday, Two.”

Despite herself, Two grinned back and took the ominous looking present. It was fairly lightweight and could be any number of things. Without further ado, Two undid the string and revealed what appeared to be a photograph...of herself.

“When did you take this, Seven?” she asked, head whipping up. “I didn't even know we had a camera on board.”

“This is not a photograph, Two,” replied Seven after a second of confusion. “I painted it last night-”

“You painted this?! Last night?!” she exclaimed, causing Seven to eye her warily. She pretty much never raised her voice, not unless the situation was dire. Getting a hold of herself, she continued more calmly, “This is amazing, Seven. Thank you.”

Seven smiled slightly again. “You're welcome, Two.”

Two traced the barely detectable paintbrush strokes across her hair, cheek, and neck, mesmerized by the utter skill with which it was rendered. Admittedly, she didn't know much about art, but she still thought she knew this was a damn fine job...and not just because she was the subject of the artwork.

She looked back up to Seven, who surprisingly hadn't walked away when she had been silent for over thirty seconds. Seven seemed to be rather pleased with herself. She rarely smiled this much.

“How and when did you learn to paint, Seven?”

Two wouldn't be at all shocked if she said five minutes ago. This android was just full of hidden talents.

“While I was doing inventory around three months ago, I discovered an unopened and undocumented crate. Inside were various sized canvases and painting supplies. Curious, I then downloaded a number of instructional videos on the topic during one of our layovers. I have been practicing my technique every night since. My first endeavours are not worthy of notice.”

“Couldn't you have just programmed yourself to paint?” wondered Two aloud, and then wished she hadn't.

Seven looked at her impassively, her smile disappearing. “I did not wish to,” Seven answered. “I wished to learn a skill on my own.”

“Right. Of course,” she muttered. Attempting to lighten the awkward tension she added, “Maybe you could learn how to cook next.”

Seven frowned.

_Dammit, Two! Don't remind her of that psycho Wendy droid! It was obvious she felt inferior!_

Two wasn't exactly skilled at small talk. Asking questions was one thing, but when you only had a conscious memory from a year ago and had been on the run ever since from a variety of weirdos, normality pretty much went out the window. Still that was no excuse for being as insensitive as Three.

“I meant, maybe _we_ could learn how to cook  together.”

Thankfully, this addendum managed to salvage the situation, and the tiny smile returned. “I would like that very much, Two.”

They stood there awkwardly (at least in Two's mind) just staring at one another. It was probably a bad idea to do this now, but she couldn't help herself any longer. She gestured into her room. “Please come in, Seven. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for some time.”

Seven entered without question and the door closed behind them, sealing Two's fate for better or worse. After leaning the photographic portrait against the wall, Two took out her comm and placed it back on the side table, making sure it was definitely off. Then she sat down on the edge of the recently made bed. She patted the space beside her and when that didn't elicit the desired response, or any action whatsoever, she said, “I was inviting you to sit beside me, Seven.”

Considering her size, the bed dipped more than one would have thought. Two supposed that wires and metal were heavier than blood and bones. She wasn't so heavy as to thump around with every step, but she could definitely give a much larger man a run for his money weight and strength wise. Which is probably why she kicked all of their asses when she was first activated. And why Two could barely manage to flip Seven during sparring sessions.

With Seven seated, Two turned to her and asked, “You're capable of having feelings now, right?”

Two was pretty positive this was the case, but she didn't want to assume anything.

Seven nodded. “I believe I have experienced a range of emotions since my upgrade...not all of which have been pleasant. I don't particularly care for sadness or anger.”

Two took a deep breath. “And what do you feel about me?”

“I'm not sure I understand the question, Two,” said Seven with her typical blank expression.

“Do you like me?” And then because that was too blatant she added, “Do you like spending time with me, having these chats? Or do they annoy you and you only feel compelled to talk to me because I'm the captain of the ship?”

“I find our conversations to be enlightening and often think about them for some time afterwards.”

“So you enjoy my company?”

“Out of all the crew members aboard the Raza, you are the least offensive.”

Two smiled. “That's-”

“You release the least amount of noticeable methane gas.”

That was _definitely_ not where she expected this conversation to go. She had forgotten that Seven had superhuman monitoring abilities...and would unwittingly use them to mortify her and the rest of the crew at random points in time.

“What?” she said dumbly.

“Methane gas, chemical composition-”

“I _know_ what it is, Seven,” she said, doing her best not to cringe. This was about the least sexy topic they could've gotten onto, about as bad as discussing how best to lance Three's ass boils. “I'm just surprised you'd mention it. It's not exactly polite.”

“It isn't?”

Two shook her head.

“Oh.” And then as if that hadn't phased her at all, she continued with, “Well, as you know, Two, I was designed with millions of taste receptors. Just as a human would. But I also have a high concentration of olfactory receptors, more like a dog would. This allows me to smell things you can't. For instance, it allowed me to smell and analyze what type of poison was used on Nyx, thereby allowing me to synthesize the antidote in time. As well, in case of massive sensor malfunction upon the ship, I can detect oxygen and other gas leaks with only my olfactory senses. Unfortunately, this heightened sense of smell comes with additional side effects.”

She was getting a headache again. “So what you're saying is...I have the least smelly...farts?”

“That's an antiquated term, but yes. I often have to turn off my olfactory senses when Three is present. And I believe this phenomenon can be attributed to your healthful diet.”

“We all eat the same things, Seven.”

“But not in the same quantities. Three eats approximately three times as much as you or Five.”

“Still, I don't think that's the reason.

Seven paused for a second. “Then perhaps it is your nanites, Two. Whatever the reason, I appreciate the lack of smell in that regard.”

The headache had dissipated again. “Well...I'm glad.”

She was about to stand up and ask Seven to leave so that she could bang her head against the wall to remind herself of the ridiculousness of attempting to bed an android not specifically programmed for that sort of thing. It was never going to happen. She'd just have to suck it up and pay Three another visit tonight...or tomorrow.

Before she could make her request, Seven continued speaking, preventing her from causing temporary bodily harm. “However, I find other aspects of your aroma to be more intrusive than the others...”

Considering this talk had ended up in shambles, she figured she might as well bite. It could hardly get any more mortifying than it already had. Right?

“My shampoo?” She didn't wear perfume. She didn't own perfume.

Seven shook her head once. “No, your shampoo smells differently than what I am referring to, though yes, I wouldn't mind if you changed brands. It is slightly too pungent for my tastes.”

“What are you referring to then?”

“I don't know,” said Seven in that adorable little lilt of hers.

_Wait, adorable?_

“It's not in my database.”

“But does it bother you? Whatever it is you're detecting on me?”

“No,” stated Seven with assurance. She smiled. “I find it...pleasant.”

Could it be possible that she was detecting pheromones? Or was that simply wishful thinking? Wouldn't she know what pheromones were?

Much more invested in the conversation again, Two turned more fully towards Seven, crossing her legs on the bed. This was potentially about to get very awkward, but she just had to know.

“Seven,” she said slowly, “what are your thoughts on physical intimacy? On sex? With respect to yourself?”

Seven blinked a couple of times and then replied, “I have had a dream involving sexual intercourse.” She smiled wider than she had thus far. “It was quite enjoyable.”

Two's brain nearly exploded with that bombshell. It took her several moments to formulate words again. She had never expected any sort of admission close to this realm. Had she known sooner, well...that wasn't really important now.

She cleared her throat. “Have you always been able to dream?”

“Unfortunately not,” said Seven, her expression quickly turning more neutral. “It was a one time phenomenon, while the virus attempted to invade my thoughts and keep me docile.”

“Wait...” said Two, just grasping something. “So that time that you were charging and claimed you shouldn't have higher brain functions...that was a sex dream?”

Seven nodded.

Two snorted. “No wonder you kept wanting to go back.”

Without any prompting Seven said, “I've also kissed someone.”

“In the dream you mean?”

“Yes. But that's not the occasion I was referencing. I kissed someone before the virus induced dreams occurred.”

A stab of unexpected jealousy and concern hit her. “Who was it?”

“I can't say.”

“We're friends, Seven. You're supposed to tell me those kinds of secrets.”

“I'm afraid in this instance, I can't.”

“Look, Seven,” she said as sternly as she could, “if someone's (Three's) been taking advantage of you, I need to know.”

For all of her intellect, she could be downright childish...and naive.

“No one has been taking advantage of me, Two. I wanted to kiss them. I was...curious.” She smiled some more. “Though brief, it was an unexpectedly pleasant interaction.”

Seven seemed sincere and not at all distressed, so Two decided to believe her...mostly because she wanted to kiss her too.

“And have you been curious since?”

“I would like to someday replicate the experience, yes. But I'm afraid it could be some time before I see him again.”

Him? Did that mean Seven was straight? Or how did that even work? Was she programmed to be straight? That would be typical. Though Two doubted factory default androids even included a sexuality. And Seven was long past that stage.

“So you like this guy?”

“Yes. I find him intriguing because we have a lot in common.”

“And we don't?” She winced internally, hating her sudden competitiveness with a nameless, faceless guy that Seven would probably never even see again.

“We have many things in common too, Two. For instance, we both take command of the ship and worry about the well being of its inhabitants. We are both excellent fighters. Due to our nanites, we are both immune to a variety of toxins and threats that would otherwise incapacitate or prove fatal for the crew. Additionally-”

“Have you ever considered kissing me?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Seven just stared at her. “You?”

Cue the drum roll...

“No, I have not.”

Two wanted to get the hell out of there. She had made a big enough fool of herself as it was. Luckily no one else could see their fearless leader getting knocked down a peg by the ships android.

“Oh,” she replied, averting her eyes.

And then words of salvation flooded her frazzled mind.

“I am not opposed to the idea though.”

Two hazarded a glance at Seven, who was looking at her without judgment. “Really?” she half smiled.

“Yes.”

Two bit her lip. “Would you like to kiss me right now?”

“Okay,” she said without hesitation.

Before Two leaned in she thought of something else. Her conscience demanded she cover all grounds first.

“I don't want you to do this just because you think you have to. I won't get mad if you don't want to. And I'm not ordering you to, Seven. You understand the difference, right?”

Seven almost seemed offended. “Yes, I understand the concept of free will, Two. And I believe I do have it. For instance, if you told me to sing 'Adieu L'amant' right now, I would not do it.”

That was oddly specific...and strange. Was that French? Could Seven speak French too? Who even spoke French anymore? Wasn't it a dead language? But most importantly, could Seven sing?

“Prove it. Seven, I order you to sing that song.”

“No.”

“I just gave you a direct order, Seven. Sing that song.”

“No.”

Okay, then. Forgetting the future implications that could prove disastrous if Seven chose to disobey an imperative order...this was definitely progress...as far as her individual persona went...

Two was really nervous all of a sudden as if she had to make this kiss be the most amazing one ever to make Seven forget about that other guy. All of her usual bravado seemed to have evaporated into thin air. Was this what it was like to be a teenager, about to kiss your crush for the first time? Not that she was crushing on Seven or anything like that. That would be ridiculous. Or would it?

“Your heart rate is significantly elevated,” said Seven simply. “Are you distressed, Two?”

“Not exactly,” she replied, embarrassed on getting called out at this particular moment and having to explain herself. “I'm just excited.”

Apparently wanting further explanation, Seven just stared at her.

“It's nothing to be concerned about. It's normal in this type of situation. At least, it is for me. I'm not sure what you feel but I guess it's not the same.”

“I don't have a heart,” said Seven a little sadly. Or was that just her imagination?

Two placed her hand on the side of Seven's face, sliding down to the nape of her neck, intrigued by the texture of the skin substrate. It was incredibly smooth, hairless and wrinkle free, what Two supposed babies skin felt like. Seven didn't have blood just beneath the surface but all of that machinery nevertheless produced heat, effectively mimicking the temperature of a normal human body.

Seven watched her curiously, making no attempts to touch her, or do anything.

This was so much easier with Three. All she had to do was show up at his door and attack him, little to no thinking involved. In fact, that was basically the _only_ way she managed to sleep with him anymore.

Taking a page from that book, Two said, “You don't need a heart to feel,” and then kissed her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why I seem to be Three bashing in this fic...I don't really have a problem with him in the show. It just keeps coming out for some reason...
> 
> And don't worry, the next chap continues on right after this one. But I switch POV to Seven...so that's going to be...interesting.


	6. The Main Squeeze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm assuming this chap will come across as cringeworthy, endearing and funny...but you'll be the judges of course.
> 
> And if there happens to be any canucks reading this, Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Seven had enjoyed the brief physical press of lips with Victor, but kissing Two was entirely different. Her neural matrix seemed to be rapidly forming new connections, expanding at an incredible rate, silencing nearly all processes; something Seven never believed possible except for when she was shut down.

Was this discrepancy in experience simply because Two wasn't an android? That her synthetically cultivated flesh was more technologically advanced and therefore more convincingly human? Would she feel even more energized kissing a human, any human? Or were there more factors at play here? Was there something else about Two that was causing her system to overload with such a simple action?

After another moment Two pulled away from her. The silencing effect immediately vanished, and Seven was once more assailed with a variety of data inputs and analyses from the ships computer, endlessly antagonizing her neural matrix. It was such a stark contrast that for a nanosecond she contemplated severing her neural link so that she could regain the former solitude.

“Was that okay?” asked Two meekly.

“Yes,” replied Seven in some confusion.

“Do you want to do that again?”

“Yes,” said Seven eagerly.

Two smiled and took her half turned face in her hands. When they kissed this time, Seven brought her hand to Two's knee. Her mind at once became a blank slate and an expanding mass. It was delighting and intriguing her to no end.

Their languid, somewhat timid kissing continued on for some time until Two bit her lower lip. Rather than be put out by the more aggressive action, Seven was thrilled with it, and attempted to reciprocate once Two released her lip. However, in doing so, she overestimated her jaw strength and drew blood. Seven had never tasted blood before and found herself fascinated with the metallic, earthy quality, wondering if normal human blood had similar characteristics. She licked and sucked at Two's lips which elicited a strange sound from Two.

Seven pulled away, and a second later Two's eyelids fluttered open to stare at her in puzzlement.

“Why did you stop?” said Two, slightly breathless. Her heart rate was still elevated from the norm. As well, her pupils had dilated, her skin had flushed, and her body temperature had increased. All indicators of sexual arousal. The unknown but pleasant aroma was coming off of Two in much higher concentrations than Seven had previously detected.

After maneuvering into a likewise cross legged position facing Two, Seven politely asked, “Would you like to have sexual intercourse now, Two?”

Two's skin became an even more pronounced rosy hue. She glanced away in apparent embarrassment.

“I apologize if that is not an enticing proposition,” said Seven, with a slight frown. “Based on a number of physical indicators, I concluded that you wished to-”

“I do,” interrupted Two, making eye contact again. “I have for awhile now.”

“Oh, I see,” said Seven, perking up. All of those strange gazes suddenly made a lot more sense. “Why didn't you ask me sooner?”

“I guess I didn't think you'd be interested in doing something like that. It's not exactly part of your programming.”

“No, it's not,” agreed Seven. “However, as Victor informed me, my design is not flawed, but rather it is intentionally deviant from the standard android. Consequently, I am 'special' and experience human-like emotions and desires, whether my upgrade is turned on or not.”

Seven had thought she had given a very informative explanation, but oddly, the only detail Two seemed to pick up on was her friends name, which she had unintentionally divulged.

“Who's Victor?”

There seemed little harm in telling her at this point.

“Victor is a friend of mine.”

Clearly that wasn't a satisfactory answer. “A friend that you kissed?”

Seven blinked. “Yes.”

“Let me guess, he was the subject of your sex dream too?”

Two seemed to be agitated and Seven couldn't fathom why. When she didn't immediately respond, Two said, “Do you go around kissing all your friends?”

“No,” said Seven warily. “I have only kissed you and Victor. However, I have found that I enjoy kissing you a great deal more, and you seem to be far more receptive to my ministrations.”

Rather than pacify Two, that response seemed to irritate her further. “Are you just collecting data? Running diagnostics on our physiology? Comparing our responses to certain stimuli?” Two grit her teeth. “Conducting experiments?”

Given Two's past history with Dwarf Star Technologies, Seven now understood why she was so distressed. She had been treated as an experiment for much of her existence. Seven assumed that couldn't have been very pleasant, even if Two couldn't remember, or perhaps _because_ of that reason.

“I assure you, Two, I am not strictly speaking conducting an experiment. Although, I am curious to gain a first hand understanding of coitus. It is by far one of the more elusive human exploits. I believe you will be a capable teacher.”

Two flushed again. “If we do this, I want you to turn off your diagnostics system. I don't want you to even be tempted to analyze me.”

“If I do as you request, how will I know what pleases you, Two?”

Two smiled softly at that, laying her hand over top Seven's. “I'll tell you.”

“That seems highly impractical...but I will do as you wish.” She closed her eyes for a second shutting down Two's diagnostics. It was like a drop in the pond to all of her other ongoing diagnostics, so that she barely even noticed the difference.

When she opened her eyes again, Two shifted closer so that their knees were touching. Two took her other hand in hers. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I believe we have already established that I would like to have sex with you, Two,” said Seven in some confusion.

Two rolled her eyes and said, “Consent is particularly important with something like this, Seven. I was just double checking.”

Then Two moved herself into her lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. Her body was warm and her weight comforting. This newfound proximity was interesting. On the one hand there was her pungent shampoo that was somewhat disagreeable, on the other was the unknown aroma that she found oddly enticing. It was the stronger of the two scents, so Seven decided to leave her olfactory senses turned on. She would need this additional input if she wasn't allowed to monitor Two's internal physiology.

“You're allowed to touch me you know,” said Two, with a smirk. “Put your hands on my hips.”

Seven did as she was told and waited for further instruction. She was somewhat anxious to do something unsatisfactory and put an end to this unique experience before it even began.

Before Two proceeded, she said, “If at any point, you don't want to do this anymore, just tell me, and I'll stop.”

Seven was becoming impatient with this continual delay. One of her less favourite feelings, though far from the worst. Currently her favourite physical feeling was a newfound one; that of kissing Two. It was even more satisfying than drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate.

“Can we have sex now or would you like to discuss the concept of consent some more? I find it a fascinating topic, full of incredible minutiae.”

Two rolled her eyes once more and then kissed her. As if her neural link with the ship was severed, her thought narrowed and pinpointed to this one moment. All of her attention was on Two, the way their lips moved against each others, the way Two's hands gripped onto her hair, the way their torso's pressed together, the way Two's breathing patterns became increasingly erratic when their tongues made first contact.

The contact had startled her at first, if only because she had never contemplated putting her tongue in someone else's mouth before. It was highly unsanitary after all, with eighty million bacteria transferred within a ten second period. Or at least, that would be the case if she were a biological entity. This was far more of a one way transfer of germs. As far as she knew, they wouldn't impede her system in any way and would simply die out over time.

It wasn't long before Two was pulling away in order to remove her shirt. Even without internally monitoring her, Seven could tell that she was too warm simply from touching the flesh at her hips. Two was wearing a black bra, her preferred colour for most articles of clothing. It was thin and semi-translucent, and not owning bras of her own, Seven was intrigued enough to bring her hands up and touch the fabric.

Immediately Two made another of those strange low sounds, so Seven retracted her hands. Before she could question Two about this, Two had taken her hands and placed them back on her bra. “Don't stop. I like it when you touch me there.”

“Okay,” said Seven, continuing to examine the fabric, rubbing her thumbs over the peaks of Two's breasts. She was fascinated by the stiff points emerging from beneath her thumbs, what Seven could only assume were Two's nipples. She didn't think her own were capable of doing that, but she had never stimulated them in such a way before.

“Pinch them, Seven,” breathed out Two, her vocal frequency a full octave lower than usual. “I need you to pinch them now.”

“Okay,” she said again and proceeded to do as Two instructed.

Perhaps she had followed orders a little too effectively, for Two had thrown back her head and groaned. Seven wasn't accustomed to physically handling the soft flesh that comprised all humans, therefore she might be overusing her strength in this regard, just as she had accidentally split Two's lip.

However, that proved not to be the case as Two then asked her to pinch harder. When Two had taken as much of that stimulation as she could stand, she stripped off her bra and revealed her breasts fully. Since Two apparently appreciated aggressive action, Seven took them in her hands and squeezed. The consistency of Two's breasts was unlike anything she had ever handled before. Again, it was possible her own were of a similar make and model, but she had never thought to squeeze them. In fact, she had barely even seen her own naked body as there was no need to. She didn't have a mirror, she hardly ever changed outfits, she didn't bathe and there was no reason to examine herself in an effort to utilize rudimentary preemptive measures against disease.

Mind you, it was her understanding that she was physically designed the same way as any other standard android, only the programming was different. Ergo, she had a crude digestive system that allowed her to consume and excrete liquids. She also had nipples and external female genitals. Had she been programmed as an entertainment android, like Wendy, she supposed the crew would have made use of her in a similar manner to how she was being used now. Not that she thought of this interaction in such a manner. She had chosen to do this, she had not been forced to because of her programming. Already she had learned a great deal, and was eager to learn more.

Two started kissing her neck now - eliciting another new wave of neural stimulation - and then began unzipping the upper portion of her suit. She was dressed in her usual outfit this morning, that is to say the low cut beige one with the thick, darker stripe down the middle. She hadn't stopped wearing it since she had put it on several months ago. Her skin did not shed cells or exude oils, so her clothing never needed washing. Occasionally she thought of changing into one of the other outfits that Victor had bought her, but by doing so, she would have received a number of unwanted questions, namely, where she had gotten the clothing from.

With the top of her suit completely unzipped, Two then slipped her hands into the open space, running them up her abdomen and torso, over her breasts and onto her shoulders. She moved her hands down her arms, taking the jacket with them. Exposed now, Two pressed her torso back into hers – yet another unusual neural response - put her arm around her back, and attempted to lean her back onto the bed.

“Lie down, Seven,” she stated when that proved ineffectual.

Prone now, Two kissed her then trailed her lips down her neck, clavicle, down and down until she reached her pants, a wave of modulating pleasure following in its wake. These she also unzipped, then yanked off her high heeled boots, followed by her own standard pair. Once their pants were both dispatched of as well, Two removed her underwear. Though they were of the same dark shade as her bra, Seven couldn't help but notice that they appeared to be wet. In fact, she could easily smell the unique excretion. Another indicator of arousal.

Seven was unsure if she could produce a similar substance or if that would be problematic in the very near future. However, her fears were laid to rest when Two lay on top of her again and began rubbing and otherwise gyrating their pelvises together, effectively lubricating them both. As well, there was apparently a mechanism that when prodded in a certain way would release her own lubricant. Vaguely she assumed there was a reservoir of liquid attached, just like the saline solution that was released in her mouth periodically.

This was the most pleasurable stimulation to date. Clearly the electro-mechanics down there were functioning as they were designed to, regardless of the fact that she was not programmed to desire this type of contact.

In all things, Seven followed Two's lead. She seemed to know what she wanted, and how to acquire it, so Seven continued to let her take control of the situation. Seven was surprised at how little they needed to actually discuss what was happening and how much she was enjoying this interaction. Based on her dream with Victor, she had thought she might, but she hadn't been certain. Now she was.

She unequivocally enjoyed sex.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm of two minds with this. On the one hand I see Seven as an asexual individual because she's basically an avatar for the ships computer and wouldn't be programmed with one. There wouldn't be a point. But while she hasn't been programmed to desire physical intimacy, I could see that she would enjoy it from direct physical stimulation, just like some asexuals do. On the other hand, maybe because she's not a typical ships android, with typical programming, maybe she does have a sexuality but she just hasn't discovered it yet, hence enjoying the sex dream and kissing Two more than Victor. So I suppose I've more or less combined these two thought processes into one confusing mess. :p


	7. Shadows

Part way through their third round of sex, in which Seven was finally beginning to take a more active role, there was a summons at her door. She was pretty pissed about being interrupted, but at the same time, she realized it was pretty much bound to happen. It was fairly unusual for her to still be in her room at this time of day and her comm was off. The last time she had been completely unresponsive, Five had found her lying unconscious on the ground. Of course she - or Three or Six - might be concerned. So with a grumble, she unattached herself from Seven's embrace, threw on her top and pants, sans underwear, and made her way to the door, which she realized only now wasn't locked.

Five greeted her, the anxiety slipping from her face instantly, replaced with a smile. “You're okay. I was worried when you didn't answer your comm.” Five examined her closer, no doubt noticing her flushed skin and general dishevelment. “Are you not feeling well today, Two?”

“I'm fine,” she answered. Better than fine really. She had been incredibly horny these past few days and now she wasn't. At least, it wasn't distracting her anymore.

Five gave her a look as if to say, 'if you say so', and then said, “I was wondering if you could help me look for Seven. I've been all over the ship but I can't find her. And she's not answering either.”

“Hello Five,” said Seven from her bed.

Two was unperturbed. She wasn't embarrassed or ashamed about what she had done with Seven. And this was a small ship. Everyone was in everyone else's business sooner rather than later. Keeping these kinds of secrets was pointless.

Five looked past her, towards the bed, then back at her, her eyes widening. “You didn't...” She looked back and forth between them a number of times, her jaw dropping, “Holy shit.” Suddenly her expression changed, this time to anger. “I can't believe you'd do this, Two!” She gestured forcefully towards Seven. “She's not programmed for that sort of thing! You completely took advantage of her! She's like a child!”

“I'm afraid I must disagree with you on your last two points, Five,” said Seven, getting out of the bed, still naked. Five glanced away hurriedly. Patiently, Two waited for Seven to get dressed. Seven knew better than to go walking around naked on the ship, and if she ever did, Two would know something was seriously wrong.

Fully dressed, Seven approached. She came to stand beside her, hands behind her back, prim and proper except for the strands of hair coming out of her updo. Two was irritated all over again. The likelihood that they would go back to the bed after this encounter wasn't very high.

“While my model number is from just over three years ago, I would not classify myself as a child.”

Okay, Two had to admit, that made her feel a little strange to hear. Then again, how did age really factor in with sentient machines? What about her? How old was she, technically speaking? She had never actually bothered to find out _when_ Rook had manufactured her...

“As well, Two did not take advantage of me. I am the one that propositioned her to have sex.”

Five looked at Seven like she didn't know whether to believe her or not, probably wondering if she had coached her with what to say should they be caught.

“You didn't know what you were doing,” said Five, persistently. “You couldn't have. That's not something you would've thought to do on your own and-”

“As evidenced by my wide range of human interests, my programming is far from typical of a ships android,” interrupted Seven. “Wouldn't you agree?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“I believe you were also desirous of humanizing me not that long ago, Five,” continued Seven without expression. “In fact, you were upset when I attempted to halt and/or cease your progress.”

“I only wanted you to find yourself a bit more, to have some new experiences,” replied Five. She glared at Two. “But I never meant anything like _this_.”

“And what precisely is wrong with this?” asked Seven politely. “It is my understanding that if all parties involved consent, it is of no concern to anyone else.”

“But you couldn't have consented!” exclaimed Five. “You _have_ to obey her!”

“Again, Five, I must disagree with you,” said Seven. “While that may have been true many months ago, it no longer is.” She blinked. “I have evolved. I am my own person now and can make my own decisions. Two can no more force me to do anything I do not wish to do, than you can.” She eyed Five unnervingly as she said, “Which perhaps is fortunate given what happened with Chief Inspector Shaddick and her associates.”

_Wait, what?_ thought Two in surprise. _What's she talking about?_

Five went stock still and then balled her hands into fists. “That was different! I had no choice!”

“There is always a choice, Five,” said Seven simply.

Five scowled at both of them for another few seconds and then stormed off. Probably to Six. To tattle-tail on her. As much as Two liked having Five on board the ship, sometimes she could be a self righteous pain in the ass. One thing was for sure, Two hadn't heard the end of this.

She turned to Seven who was just standing there, staring straight ahead with a faint smile on her lips. Seeing Seven stand up for herself, for _both_ of them like that, had turned her on again. Which was completely inconvenient as she knew she had to go deal with the rest of the crew now. If she didn't, they'd all just come lining up at her door - Three sticking his ear to the wall to try and hear them- or otherwise override the lock and force their way in.

With a sigh, she started to make her way down the cold metal corridor, barefoot. She hadn't done that since she first awoke from stasis. In some ways this ensuing confrontation reminded her of that event as well.

Seven called after her. “Two?”

“Yeah?” she muttered, swiveling around.

“Are we done having sex now?”

Was she trying to kill her?

“I think that's for the best.”

“Oh,” said Seven, gazing off to the side.

Two walked back the few steps so that she was standing right in front of her. “For the time being anyway.”

Seven looked up at her and smiled. Two really wanted to kiss her again, but since she didn't have a lot of restraint with things like this and didn't want to confuse Seven with contradictory actions, instead decided to walk away.

“I have to go talk with the rest of the crew now,” she explained. “What we did...they might not understand either. You can come with me or you can go wait on the bridge. It's up to you.”

She didn't get very far before she noticed Seven's presence right behind her. Two smiled to herself. The smile didn't last long once they came across Three, Five and Six in the mess hall. Five abruptly stopped animatedly talking when she saw them, her lips pressed into a thin line. Six put his spoon down, looking between them, his mouth half open. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Two could relate. Three had a similar expression to that of Five, that is to say disdain, directed at her. She had the impression this disdain was caused more by a feeling of rejection than anything else.

“Looks like the kid was telling the truth,” he said with disgust. “Seriously, Two, you're sleeping with the _android_ now?”

“For the last time, her name's Seven,” said Two with some heat. “And who I choose to sleep with, or _don't_ sleep with,” she eyed him coldly, “is none of your concern.”

Three pushed his food away from him - a first - and then stood up. “Actually, it _is_ my concern.” He gestured to Five and Six. “It's _all_ of our concern. We'll need to pick a new leader if you've lost your damn mind. I vote me.”

Two rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms. “Haven't we already been through that? No one picked you to lead us the last time, and they're not going to this time either.”

“And what makes you so certain?” he said, side-eyeing Five and Six. “They don't seem too thrilled about this development. I bet they'd love to have a change in management. We've been drifting around for ages with no direction. But I'd change that,” he snapped, “like that.”

“Hey,” said Six, “don't bring me into,” he gestured between her and Seven, an incredulous look still on his face, “whatever _this_ is. I don't want anything to do with it.”

“How do you not care?” demanded Five.

“I never said I didn't care,” replied Six. “I just don't think it's any of my business...and I kind of wish you hadn't told me in the first place.”

“Oh come on man,” said Three angrily, “you can't seriously believe that? She's screwing the ships computer! That's seriously messed up in the head behaviour! And that's coming from a guy who tried to off himself because of his ghost girlfriend!”

“She's a hell of a lot more than just the ships computer,” said Two, doing her best to keep her composure. She was really close to decking Three. It wouldn't be the first time, or the last. “You know it as well as I do. Seven's changed a lot over the past year. She's her own person now.”

Three stared at her for a second and then broke out into derisive laughter. “Wow. You've completely lost it. Have your nanites gone bad again? Or is that giving you too much credit? You were probably always off your rocker, grown in a lab and everything. Rook wasn't kidding when he said you were defective.”

Though they didn't say anything, at least Five and Six had the good grace to look horrified.

He grunted towards Seven. “Go away now, android, and take crazy pants with you. The sane adults want to have a private conversation.”

Seven simply stood there, staring at him.

“Great. Now the robot's malfunctioning too. Guess you fried her brain when you-”

A number of things happened at once. Two lunged at Three, slamming him into the table, knocking over the rest of their breakfast. Six pulled Five back just in time to avoid getting hit by an errant leg. Seven strode over to the table in three quick strides and pulled her away from Three before she could get in more than a punch or two to his stupid face. Seven held onto her from behind in a tight embrace, feet lifted off the ground, preventing her from doing more than squirming in place.

Three looked over at her and smiled as he wiped the blood away from his lip, which only served to infuriate her even more.

“Let me go, Seven!” she demanded. “Let me at him!”

“I'm afraid I can't do that, Two,” said Seven in her ear. “Per your own rules, fighting amongst ourselves is strictly prohibited, the only exception being for sparring sessions. As well, while I don't doubt your ability to defend yourself against Three, I would rather not risk you getting hurt. It would make me...sad.”

“Not this crap again,” said Three, pushing himself into a sitting position on top of the table. He got to his feet and walked right up to them, making sure to keep out of kicking range by staying off to the side slightly. “Androids don't have feelings. They can't.” He tapped Seven in the head. “The sooner you get that through that metal skull of yours, the better. But since you seem to be incapable of reason, I'd say it's high time we got ourselves a newer model.” He smirked. “Or even better, a _different_ model. More like Wendy, but less homicidal.”

And just like that, Seven released her, wiping the smirk off of Three's face. He took a few steps back, raising his fists. She was honestly not sure what she would have done if Five hadn't broken through right then.

“Okay, that's enough!” she said shrilly. “Three get out of here before they kill you.”

Three didn't need telling twice. He might have been an egomaniac but even he knew he was toast if both Two and Seven turned on him when he was unarmed.

There was an intense quiet following his removal from the room, which was in shambles, cutlery and food splattered everywhere.

Five looked to her and Seven, her features softening. “I'm sorry I said anything to him. He was way out of line.” She grimaced. “So was I. I guess this just took me by surprise and I overreacted. I'm sorry.”

Two wasn't feeling very gracious in that moment, but apparently Seven was.

“Apology accepted, Five,” said Seven. “And I would also like to apologize for my earlier remark about Chief Inspector-”

“It's okay,” said Five hurriedly, “we don't need to bring that up again.”

Two and Six shared a look, equally confused.

Another awkward moment and then Six spoke. “Well, I guess we should start cleaning this place up.” He looked around between them. “Any takers?”

“Two and I will clean this mess,” informed Seven.

Two frowned at her, annoyed that she had spoken for her. Then realizing she did that all the time to Seven, even just a couple of minutes ago, shrugged and said, “Yeah. We've got this guys. You can go now.”

Once they were alone again, Seven turned to her and said, “Why did Three say such terrible things about us? I thought he was our friend.”

She rubbed her head, disbelieving that she had only been awake for a couple of hours today. “He was mad.”

“Yes, I understood that much, Two,” said Seven dryly. “But _why_ was he so vehement?”

Two forced herself to hold Seven's gaze as she said, “We used to sleep together.”

“Oh,” said Seven, looking away. Then to her surprise, Seven caught her eye again and almost smirked. “Do you sleep with all your friends, Two?”

_Okay, that time she definitely made a joke, right?_

Two shook her head, willing herself not to smile, and shoved Seven, which of course had zero effect since she weighed twice as much as herself and was sturdy as a steel rod.

“And I think he realized that I wouldn't be sleeping with him again anytime soon, so that's what really set him off more than anything else. He probably would have acted the same way had I announced I was sleeping with Six instead.”

Seven seemed puzzled. “I think we all would have been surprised by that announcement, given that Six is a homosexual.”

“You picked up on that?” said Two, impressed.

“Of course,” said Seven, still puzzled. “He has shown no sexual interest in women since boarding this ship. However, there were a number of times that I detected sexual indicators directed towards Ryo.” She gave her a pointed look. “And not just from Six.”

Two glanced away, clearing her throat. Why was she embarrassed though? They were trapped in a tin can ninety percent of the time with limited space and little to do in between missions. It was only natural that she'd eventually entertain certain thoughts about her crew mates. Especially when they looked damn hot with their swords flying. Of course, she'd since seen Seven practicing with them. She wasn't sure who looked hotter. And in any case, it didn't even matter now.

“If you know what sexual indicators are, how come you didn't pick up on my interest in you then?” she asked, somewhat teasingly.

“I don't know,” answered Seven seriously. “Although, I wish I had noticed them sooner. Sexual intercourse is extremely pleasurable.”

They shared a look. Two was about to kiss her when Seven bent over and began picking up the scattered cutlery. Her exceptionally firm ass was practically in her face, begging to be touched or slapped or _something_.

She really _was_ trying to kill her.

With a sigh, Two joined her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now I'm full on hating on Three. Oh well, drama!


	8. Where There's a Will, There's a Gay

 

The rest of the day was excruciatingly boring. Three spent it locked up in his room like a petulant child, most likely aggressively cleaning and re-cleaning his many guns. Two wondered if she should be worried about his one man armory. When someone got that angry, there was no telling what they might do. She had never been shot, and while she wasn't eager for that to happen, she _was_ vaguely curious to know if her upgraded nanites could handle a bullet or two and effectively repair her without major surgery. Certainly, Seven wouldn't be worse for wear if she were shot...unless it was in the head where her neural matrix – the thing that controlled nanite distribution and effectiveness – was irreparably damaged.

If Three came for her, for _either_ of them, she would be ready. And if he dared to, she wouldn't hesitate to space him, and damn the consequences.

But enough of the morbid musings.

She spent a number of hours trying to get Seven's attention around various areas of the ship, but just like in the mess hall, she seemed completely unaware of Two's attempts at seduction.

This coupled with the Three situation had put her in a bad mood, so that by the time she would normally sit down to read in the evening, she was instead in the training room, working up a sweat and releasing some of her pent up energy.

After a quick shower, she trudged towards her bed, utterly exhausted. From the intense workout yes, but also the entire day. Who knew being in a relationship with an android would be so drama filled?

Not that she was _in_ a relationship...they were just having some fun. A one time thing apparently, judging by Seven's complete lack of interest after the fact. It was strange though because she _had_ seemed like she wanted to continue at some point, had more or less said so.

Then Two had a terrible thought. What if Seven decided to go kiss or sleep with someone else? Sure Seven had claimed she wasn't comparing her response to Victors, but what if she had been? What if she wanted to expand her data point range with a new subject?

She shook her head at the ridiculousness of the thoughts. After all, Seven was in the same dilemma she was. There wasn't anyone else _to_ sleep with. Six was a no go. Same with Three. So unless Seven propositioned Five...

But Five wasn't into girls, was she? Her and Seven were just really good friends, right? Then again, Five was young and by all accounts had never been in a romantic relationship before, at least not one she remembered, so she might very well be up to making out (or more) with Seven now that she knew it was okay to have interest in her that way.

Except Five wouldn't do that to her, would she? And definitely not the same day she learned of their dalliance, or whatever you wanted to call it.

Why was this driving her so insane?

Vigorously rubbing her hair with a towel was only doing so much to quell her sudden burst of nervous energy. She needed to calm down but she didn't know how. She had never had a freak out like this before.

Tossing the towel aside, Two stuck her comm in and contacted Five. At least she tried to. Five wasn't answering. Either that meant she was sleeping or...

Screw it, Two was going to get down to the bottom of this once and for all.

She was half way to the door when it beeped at her, indicating that someone was there.

Two took a moment to try and compose herself before responding. “Come in.”

The door parted. The sight before her eyes instantly ignited her brain back into FTL drive.

“Hey,” said Seven, her voice slightly huskier than usual.

Two immediately knew something was up. Seven never used such informal language, or casually leaned against the door frame...or wore a killer black shoulder less dress that exposed the elegant curve of her neck, the creamy smoothness of her skin, and, Two gulped, a considerable amount of cleavage...at least compared to the negligible amount she normally showed.

Her eyes trailed down past where the dress ended just above knee height, down her impeccably toned legs and to a pair of black high heels, then shot up to find Seven watching her reaction in clear, albeit subdued satisfaction.

It was several more moments before she could speak through the considerable dryness in her throat. “What's going on, Seven?”

“I've thought about it a lot,” said Seven casually, “couldn't stop thinking about it really, and I realized I couldn't wait until tomorrow to have sex with you again.” She pushed off from the wall, placing a hand on her hip. “But I thought we'd try something different this time.”

Two just stood there open mouthed, not knowing how to respond.

Seven frowned. “That is, if you'd like to have sex with _me_ tonight. I hadn't considered that possibility, oddly enough. Consent is very important to me. If you're not interested-”

That was enough to snap her out of her daze. “I am. I am _very_ interested.” _Even though I'm really tired._ “Sorry. You just kind of caught me off guard...” she gestured towards her dress, “...well with everything.”

A faint smirk emerged. “You like what I'm wearing?”

Two assumed Seven knew very well what her answer was, especially if she was back to monitoring her vital signs.

“Yes...I like what you're wearing. You look hot. Beyond hot really.”

Upgrade on or not, the compliment took a second to register. But when it did she smiled. A real genuine smile. With teeth. The first one Two had ever seen. It was breathtaking and dazzled her even more.

Seven walked further into the room, the door closing behind her. She gave Two a sly grin and then hit a code on the console inside, presumably to lock it, which served to send a pulse of warmth throughout her belly.

Coming to a halt a few feet before her, Seven cocked her head to the side and smirked smugly.

“You hung up my gift.”

“Well, yeah,” said Two, licking her lips, eyes darting down to Seven's pair, “that's what one generally does with paintings.”

“I'm just a little surprised.”

“Why?”

“You did that pretty fast. Where did you even get the hammer and nail?”

“I don't know,” she grumbled, “I just found it in the storage area.”

Why were they talking about her hanging the painting at a time like this?

“You're cute when you're flustered.”

Two blushed. “Are you flirting with me?”

Seven shrugged. “Depends. Do you like it?”

Then she proceeded to kick off her shoes so that they were at similar heights again. This was followed by something that was so unexpected that Two nearly orgasmed on the spot.

Seven let down her hair, shaking it sensually back and forth for what seemed like ages, then ran a hand through the tousled product afterwards, and when Two was at her weakest, hit her with an epic smolder that burned her to her very core.

The spell was broken abruptly when Seven laughed, a sound Two never expected to hear. It had the faintest of robotic quality to it as if they never anticipated an android laughing...and really why would they have? Still, Two was utterly enchanted all over again.

“What's a girl got to do around here to get laid?”

When Two still didn't make a move, Seven smirked at her and moved closer, so that their bodies were almost pressing against each other but not quite. Similarly, her lips ghosted over the skin of her earlobe, eliciting goosebumps. “It's okay, Two. You did the laying last time.” She placed a barely there kiss to the underside of her jaw which had her knees going weak. “Now it's my turn.”

She twirled a wet strand of hair between her fingertips and part of Two's mind was awaiting more discourse on her pungent shampoo. What she got instead made her heart beat a light year a second.

"Pity that you just showered though, you're going to need another one once we're through."

Seven winked, flashing her another smile.

Two nearly had a heart attack at those last words. At this whole situation really. Who knew Seven would be such a lady killer? Not that she was complaining...

Seven trailed a finger down her arm, more shivers rippling through her, until she reached her hand and threaded their fingers together. Leading her to the bed, she pushed her back lightly, but still hard enough to make her fall. Propped slightly on her elbows, knees bent over the edge of the bed, Two watched with darkening eyes as Seven slowly unzipped her dress, and without ceremony let it fall.

This silky pile of fabric Seven stepped out of, stunningly nude. With a predatory gaze, she advanced on Two, who for the first time in her life, was glad to feel completely helpless.

 

 


	9. Pillow Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait.

A couple of days later they found themselves in a now all too familiar situation. That of laying flat on their backs, hair disheveled – and in Two's case – sweaty and attempting to catch her breath.

Two wasn't the type to cuddle after sex...or ever, but she did like to turn on her side and just look at Seven. It was as if part of her was hoping that the android would show some indication of actually being tired, of experiencing the same highs that she experienced.

That was never the case though. No matter how vigorous Two was with her, Seven was always perfectly composed and ready for more. It was kind of unsettling if she were being completely honest with herself.

And frustrating. Two could never evoke more than a momentary flicker of human feeling out of her when the upgrade wasn't turned on. And even though Seven kept coming back for more, it made her feel inadequate. She wanted to see the fruits of her labour written all across her face. She wanted to see Seven enjoying herself in the moment, not just have her _say_ so after the fact.

But she couldn't just ask Seven to keep the upgrade turned on, could she?

Seven likewise turned on her side to stare at her. Two was rather taken aback by what came out of her mouth, as if Seven had been reading her mind.

“Do you prefer me as I am or when I display more human characteristics?”

The safe answer, if there was one here, was probably the first option. However, she decided to tell the truth...and not just because Seven would know that she was lying if she attempted to.

“I like you both ways, Seven...but I have to admit that I prefer you when you're more human. It's just easier to read you and talk to you and just generally interact.” Somewhat hastily she added, “But that _doesn't_ mean that I want you to permanently change yourself for me.”

She only partially meant this...and hated herself a bit for that.

Seven absorbed that information for a few seconds, which for her was a really long span of time, as if she too was conflicted about something. Finally her gaze realigned with hers.

“I wasn't planning to, Two. As I have previously informed you, while I'm on the ship, I wish to remain myself. I only utilized my human programming during our last sexual encounter to gain a better appreciation for the act.”

That made her heart sink. “Oh. Then why did you ask?”

Seven blinked. Two had counted how often that happened. Exactly six times every minute. Like clockwork, they were all equally spaced out every ten seconds. A minutiae of her programming.

“I simply wanted to know,” Seven informed her. “And I don't harbour any ill will towards you for your answer.”

Two was a little annoyed that Seven would let her experience sex with her in a more human state and then tell her point blank that she never intended to replicate that experience. Still, Two swallowed down her disappointment and shoved her shoulder playfully. There was zero give.

“Have you ever harboured ill will against anyone?” She smirked. “Besides Wendy?”

“Of course,” blinked Seven. “Anyone who has attempted to mislead my friends, imprison them, or otherwise treat them poorly.” She touched her face so softly that Two melted a bit and forgot her former irritation. “Especially when that person was you.”

Having no idea how to respond to that very human, very sweet remark, Two just looked at her.

Seven smiled ever so faintly. Not for the first time, Two imagined she saw something in her eyes, a spark of life. And not the dull imitation that the reflective materials of her irises attempted to mimic. The real deal.

“Now, have you sufficiently recovered?”

_Fuck._ _What have I gotten myself into? Seven is a sex machine! No pun intended!_

After the next time, Seven again surprised her by opening up a line of dialogue. Strictly speaking, they hadn't exactly been doing the whole pillow talk thing, and Two wasn't sure how she felt about it. Especially when she was now the one in the spotlight. Again.

“Are you happy, Two?” asked Seven politely.

Two was still trying to get her wits back. That was one of the stronger orgasms she had experienced this evening. Upgrade on or not, Seven was a crazy fast study and already knew how to use those dexterous fingers of hers with extreme skill.

“In this moment...absolutely yes.”

She was going to ask Seven if she was happy too but didn't get the chance.

“But not always?”

“No one's happy all the time, Seven. And if they say they are, they're lying.” Seven looked puzzled. “Falsification of the facts. I have never understood it. Why do people lie?”

Oh boy, were they really going to get into this right now?

Considering the fact that she probably needed a vagina transplant and that Seven kept staring at her intently, she figured it was best to answer and be thankful for the reprieve.

“Lots of reasons. Fear, shame, greed, jealousy...”

“You have listed only negative human emotions.”

“Sometimes it's just necessary...” said Two with a shrug. “To protect the people you care about. Keep them safe. Not hurt their feelings.”

Seven threw her for another loop. “Have you ever lied to me, Two?”

_Wait...I thought Seven could tell when people were lying to her? Or was this her test to see if I will lie?_

“To you? I don't think so. If I did it wasn't about anything important, or I'd remember.”

Ever the logical being, Seven replied with, “Your memory was erased.”

Once again, she wondered if she was being intentionally facetious.

“I was talking about _after_ that happened. I can't speak for what... _she_ said or did.”

“Does it bother you? Not being able to remember your past?”

This was an uncomfortable question for her, but she decided to answer regardless.

“It used to...but I just don't think about it anymore. There's no point. I can't change what happened. All I can try to do is be the best me that I can be.”

“Do you think that you've accomplished this goal?”

_Not by a long shot._

She definitely shouldn't have encouraged this. Seven might just ask questions in an infinite loop. Like Two imagined how children behaved.

“It's kind of an ongoing process, Seven. You have to work at it your whole life.”

Before the next question was posed, Two added, “I had a lot of fun tonight, Seven, but I'm pretty tired now.”

Seven just looked at her blankly so Two spelled it out for her. “I'm not really up for more sex.”

“I understood that,” said Seven, still not moving.

_What the hell? Was she malfunctioning?_

“I thought perhaps I could...spend the night.”

Two had absolutely no idea how to respond to that request. She had never shared a bed with anyone in that capacity. And what would the point even be? Seven didn't need to sleep. So she'd what... _stare_ at her all night? That was fucking creepy. No thank you.

“Did I phrase that incorrectly, Two?” wondered Seven aloud.

“Why would you want to?” said Two. “I mean, what's in it for you?”

“I enjoy being near you,” stated Seven, as if the answer were blatantly obvious. She touched her face again, caressing. “Is that not reason enough?”

Well fuck. Seven just kept laying on the romance...or whatever you wanted to call it tonight. Some stupid part of her mind was flattered and decided to vocalize its thoughts out loud.

“Yeah, that's a good reason. You can stay if you want.”

Seven smiled and then kissed her briefly.

When she pulled back, Two said, “Just don't stare at me all night, okay? I won't be able to sleep if I even _think_ you are.”

Seven nodded and lay on her back, arms straight at her sides. “Goodnight Two,” she said before closing her eyes and presumably shutting down.

Two shrugged at the abruptness of it all and pulled the discarded sheet up and over both of them. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take hold.

But it never did.

Unlike Seven, she couldn't just flip a switch and have it be lights out. The fact that Seven's chest didn't rise up and down and reminded her of a corpse wasn't helping matters. Two touched her arm. Seven even _felt_ like a corpse when she was turned off. Without the machinery operating at normal levels, little to no heat was created.

This was fucking creepy. How was she supposed to sleep beside a corpse?

Convinced that not being able to see Seven would make it easier, Two flipped onto her other side so that she was facing away from her. For a short while this tactic worked, and she had almost drifted off, but then the idea that Seven might have turned herself back on and was now staring at her wouldn't leave her alone. So she turned over again to attempt to catch Seven in the act of breaking their agreement. Of course her eyes were still closed and she was still laying there like a dead person.

Or maybe she had just closed them faster than Two could catch?

Determined to catch her in the act, she stayed that way, intently watching Seven, sure she was going to turn herself on and stare at her as soon as she fell asleep. She closed her eyes and after a few minutes had passed, opened them up again. Two repeated this process a number of times, but every time she peeked, Seven appeared to still be shut down.

_You're being ridiculous. Just go to sleep!_

Two flipped back around yet again, and after far too long, she finally drifted off.

The corners of Seven's lips twitched when she determined Two's breathing patterns to be those of normal REM sleep. Satisfied that all was as it should be, Seven fully shut down, wishing she could join Two in the joys of dreaming.

Perhaps one day she would.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's definitely at least one more chapter to this. Beyond that, I can't say. I never intended for it to be even as long as it has been.
> 
> Anyway, if there's something in particular you'd like to see them do, let me know and I may try to work it in somehow.


	10. San Junipero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I facepalmed a lot while reading this chap back but here it is anyway. xD

“It sounds like you really enjoy her company.”

“Well, yeah,” said Two, watching as Five repaired the main monitor in the medical bay. It had been on the fritz for the past few days. “I thought that was pretty obvious by now considering the incident last week.”

The incident in question involved Two forgetting to turn off her comm before she metaphorically fell into bed with Seven. The whole crew had heard them going at it in the training room. When questioned about it later, about _why_ she didn't say anything, Seven simply replied that she hadn't been aware that it was an undesirable thing for the others to hear.

Five, who was standing on a chair in order to reach the desired area, froze momentarily, tinges of pink making themselves known across her neck and the side of her face that Two could see. Then without turning around she said, “Can you hand me that blue tool please?”

Two snatched it up and gave it to her friend, who resumed her chore. “You should let her know that you appreciate her more than just as a good sex partner.”

“She knows that though.”

“Does she?” When Two didn't immediately respond Five exclaimed, “You should totally take her out on a date!”

Five whirled around, nearly losing her balance on the chair. She was beaming with excitement. Three had begrudgingly apologized for his behaviour. Six was still more or less indifferent to what they were doing. Five was the only one who was actively supporting them now.

“A date?” she said blankly.

“You _do_ know what those are, right?” kidded the kid.

“Yes, I know what a _date_ is, Five,” she said rolling her eyes.

_Sort of._

“Then why haven't you taken her out on one already?” asked Five.

“There isn't exactly anywhere _to_ take her out to, Five,” snarked Two, gesturing around.

Five ignored her attitude and instead was suddenly very serious and thoughtful. Two was apprehensive about what was coming. She didn't know how to navigate this sort of relationship.

“We'll be arriving at our destination within the next three days. I hear they have _real_ chocolate there. Seven would _love_ that. After we drop off our latest package, and while we're refueling and getting repairs, you can take her out.”

Five squealed, “I'm _so_ excited for you two! This is gonna be great!”

Two was less convinced but didn't voice her concerns.

*

Three days later...

Shortly before they docked at the space station orbiting around San Junipero, Two finally broached the topic with Seven herself. Even though they had been sleeping together for weeks, she was really nervous to ask her out. Perhaps it was because she had never done something like this before, and the simple act made their relationship all the more real.

Two approached her on the bridge, hands clenched at her sides.

“Is something wrong, Two?” inquired Seven. “Your heart rate is not usually elevated before docking. Is there a threat I am unaware of?”

_Not exactly._

She took a deep breath. “I hear they have real chocolate here.”

As per usual, Seven looked at her without expression. And duh, how the fuck did she expect her to react to that statement? _Idiot!_

“Does that sound like something you'd be interested in tasting?”

“Yes.”

_Just spit it out already!_

“So...do you want to go with me to get it?”

And then they hit their first space block.

“I'm afraid I don't see the necessity of my departure from the ship to accomplish such a task.”

Then Two remembered what Five had offered in case they hit a snag. “The ship won't be left unmanned. Five is going to stay behind.”

“Why would she do that? We haven't had shore leave in a month. Surely she must wish to get off ship.”

Why was Seven making this so difficult?

“She's not feeling well,” she lied.

Seven's eyes moved over to hers. It was such an obvious lie. But Five had purposely stayed put in her room today so that Seven couldn't monitor her vital signs.

For whatever reason, Seven let her indiscretion pass unchallenged.

“So...I guess I'll see you at the air lock in T-minus twenty-one minutes?”

“Okay,” said Seven, still peering at her curiously.

Two gave her a tentative smile and then hightailed it out of there before she could change her mind.

 *

“This _can't_ be right,” she muttered to herself as she stood there stupidly gawking.

It turned out that the chocolate place was a restaurant. A romantic one. With dim floating lights and low seductive music in the background. Had Five known this all along? Had she been planning this for them? Is that why she had made sure they selected this buyers offer over the others?

The more Two thought about it, the more she was convinced of the fact. _That little fiend._ Two was going to have to pay her back for this someday.

In this sort of unfamiliar setting, Two was even more anxious than she had been up until now. Surreptitiously she checked Seven's reaction. Predictably there was none.

“I assure you, it is,” said Seven.

A waitress dressed in form fitting black clothing came up to them.

“Table for two?” she smiled between them.

“Um...one second,” muttered Two, grabbing Seven's hand and taking her into the nearest washroom, which was just past a noisy twenty-four hour club. Assured that they were alone, Two said, “You need to turn on the upgrade.”

“I believe I have already raised my concerns about that particular issue.”

“I know...but a place like that...it'll be _more_ suspicious if you _don't_ turn it on.”

Seven still didn't seem convinced, and Two hated that she was getting excited at the prospect of being on a date with her while she was more human like.

“All right,” she eventually conceded, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, Seven smirked at her and said, “If you wanted me this way that badly, you could've just asked.” She placed a hand to her waist. “You know I would've agreed.” Her fingers dug slightly into her side. “You know...we've never done it in a public washroom before.” She walked her backwards a few paces until her back hit the wall. “We could change that right now.”

As tempting as the offer was, they were here for a reason. They were supposed to do something _other_ than fuck each other for once. Two planned to keep to that plan.

“I think we...” she cleared her hoarse throat. “We should go get that chocolate now.”

Seven shrugged and backed off...at least physically. She was still giving her sex eyes. “Your lose. I would've thoroughly fucked you against that wall.”

Momentarily taken aback by the aggressive language, Two didn't respond. Then she licked her lips and took her hand. “Come on,” she half croaked out, doing her best to ignore the pulse of warmth now coursing through her. “Let's go have dinner.”

“Oh all right,” sighed Seven in a fake manner. “Dinner first.” She winked at her. “ _Then_ dessert. Although, who ever heard of eating chocolate for dinner?”

“I don't know,” she muttered. “Maybe it's a local thing?”

“Hold on a second, beautiful.” Seven pulled her hand out of Two's so that she could unzip the front of her suit a bit more to reveal some cleavage. She also let her hair down.

That sight reminded her firmly of their first and only sexual encounter while Seven's upgrade was turned on. This time she clenched her thighs together, determined to actually get out of the washroom and go on this damn date. Judging by the way Seven was eyeing her reaction, she knew exactly what she was doing.

Two practically stumbled out of the washroom, Seven right behind her. “Careful now,” said Seven, steadying her slightly with a hand on the small of her back. Near her ear she added, “I don't want you on your knees just yet.”

And what the fuck? Even when they had literally been fucking each other, she hadn't conveyed such sexual imagery. If Two didn't know any better, she'd think Seven was horny. But that was impossible, right?

They passed by the club again, music pulsing, beckoning.

“I know where we're going after dinner,” said Seven.

“You know how to dance?” she asked incredulously.

Though honestly, considering all of her other skills, why was she still surprised?

“No,” laughed Seven, “but I've always wanted to try. I mean, how hard can it really be?” She gave her a sly look. “And if all else fails, I can always just grind up on you. I know how much you like my ass. Yours is pretty fine too,” she said, pinching her there discretely.

Once again, Two nearly stumbled and Seven steadied her. “Does your lack of coordination have something to do with what I said or what I did?” teased Seven.

This was going to be a long night, wasn't it?

Somehow or other they found their way back to the restaurant. The same waitress, Wendy, came to greet them. Two hadn't noticed her name the previous time as she'd been distracted by the atmosphere.

_You have got to be kidding me_ , groaned Two internally. _Out of all the names in the galaxy. It had to be that one!_

“Have you ladies made up your minds?”

“Sure have, darling,” said Seven, suavely, encircling her waist and pulling Two against her side. “We'd be delighted to dine with you tonight.”

Wendy gave Seven a once over, clearly appreciative of her cleavage and her hair being down too. Two didn't care for the look at all. Or the subsequent flirting.

“You have lovely hair,” commented Wendy, completely ignoring her own.

“Thanks,” said Seven, flipping it for good measure. Some of it got in Two's face. “I'm pretty fond of it myself.” Seven squeezed her side. “So is this one. It never stays up for very long when we're alone. If you get my drift.”

There was a slight awkward pause and then, “Follow me, please.”

Once situated in a corner, private booth, Wendy gestured to the table and the menu's that were digitally imprinted there.

“Can I get you anything to drink to start off with?”

Two wasn't going to order anything but Seven surprised her by ordering _for_ her.

“My girl here definitely needs a drink or two. Make it something that could take the paint off of our spaceship.” Then she winked at Wendy, and Two just about combusted. “Get something for yourself too, gorgeous. On me.”

“I'll be sure to do that,” Wendy said with a warm smile. “Thank you.”

“No, thank _you_ , Wendy. If the foods half as good as the service already has been, we'll be here all night.”

Wendy smiled even more at Seven, continuing to completely ignore her. “Then I'll be glad to serve you until you're fully satisfied.”

What the ever living fuck? Did they not hear themselves?

Finally they stopped smirking at one another...because Wendy walked away. Seven glanced at her from across the table and said, “She was nice.”

“Yeah, really _nice_ ,” mumbled Two, feeling just about ready to rip that smile off her face.

Oblivious to her displeasure, Seven nonchalantly said, “So is this a date, Two?”

Not expecting Seven to need to turn on the upgrade, she hadn't anticipated her understanding what they were doing here together. Of course, the romantic ambiance hadn't exactly helped matters.

Her silence and slight flushing was all the confirmation Seven needed. A smug grin took hold of her features. “Is that why you were nervous to ask me?”

“I wasn't nervous,” she lied. “I just hadn't done it before...so I wasn't really sure _how_ to.”

“I've been _there_ before,” winked Seven playfully.

Honestly, she had been doing that so much lately, Two was beginning to think it was a mechanical tick that needed to be fixed.

“Thankfully I had a very capable teacher.”

Then she ran her bare foot up her leg, prompting Two to jump in her seat. How in the hell did she even take off her boots without using her hands?!

“Seven!” she hissed.

Seven chuckled at her reaction, raising her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. I'll behave myself from here on out. Spoil sport.”

Two grumbled to herself further. “Well, I suppose we should take a look at the menu.”

They busied themselves with that task for a bit until she realized none of these dishes seemed to contain any chocolate.

_Oh, I am so going to kill Five._

“Huh,” said Seven, and Two just assumed she had come to the same conclusion.

Two looked up to see Seven attempting to scroll through the embedded menu...and not being able to. The image stayed static, immovable.

She forgot her irritation for a moment. “Do you think it's malfunctioning?”

“Only one way to find out,” said Seven. “You're going to need to reach across and try it for yourself.”

Two was waiting for the punchline. For once it didn't come. Apparently she was true to her word. So Two leaned across the table and swiped at the menu. It worked perfectly fine when she did it. When she looked up, it was to see Seven staring at her chest. In this position, one could see right down into the depths of her shirt.

Two huffed and sat back down, arms crossed. “What did you do to it?”

She was convinced Seven had tampered with the menu to force her to lean over like that.

“I didn't do anything to it,” replied Seven.

“Don't play dumb. You obviously did something to it.”

Suddenly Seven became serious. “I swear to you that I didn't do anything to it.” She swallowed, eyes darting around the place. “I think...I think it doesn't work because...” Here her voice turned into a whisper. “I'm an android.”

“Shit,” muttered Two, nerves now on edge, eyes likewise darting around. “We should leave.”

“It'll be fine,” reassured Seven. “I already know what I want. But you could come sit beside me for good measure to operate the menu just in case. No one will know the difference.”

“Good idea,” said Two, getting out of her seat and sliding in beside Seven. “If I sit here, you'll also be blocked to the rest of the patrons and-”

She stopped talking when she felt Seven's lips on her neck and her hand on her inner thigh. Two whirled to face her, nearly smacking their faces together, which undoubtedly would've hurt her more than it did Seven.

“Would you give it a rest already?!” she whisper shouted.

Seven pouted. She literally pouted. “You really are no fun.”

“And you're acting like you're drunk!”

“Sadly, that's not possible,” lamented Seven. “Believe me, I've tried.”

Two forced down her emotions when Wendy reappeared to serve them their drinks and take their orders. “All set?”

Wendy looked between them, her smile faltering slightly. Whether this was due to their proximity or being able to pick up on her displeased attitude, Two couldn't say. And she didn't give a fuck either. She was almost ready to leave. Seven could stay on this space station for all she cared.

“Actually, sweetheart, I think we need a little more time to sort ourselves out,” said Seven politely.

“Of course,” said Wendy. “Take as long as you need.”

Seven placed a hand over top her clenched one. “Why are you so angry?”

_You mean besides you using terms of endearment for some random chick?_ She wasn't thinking about the sexist nature of them in that moment, only that they weren't directed at herself.

“I'm _not_ angry,” she said angrily.

Seven chuckled, the sound grating on her already frayed nerves. “Okay, Two, whatever you say. I guess your hands in a death grip just 'cause.”

“Why do you keep doing that?” she demanded, barely keeping it together by this point.

“Doing what?” replied Seven cluelessly.

“Flirting with the waitress!” she hissed.

Seven chuckled again. “Is _that_ what this is about?”

Unable to stand the closeness and pompousness of Seven anymore, she got out of her spot to glare down at her. “You want to know why I'm angry so badly,” she said under her breath, “I'll tell you.” Two sucked in a deep breath. “I wanted you to know that I'm not in this just for the sex! I wanted to do something together that wasn't sexual in nature...but you ruined it!”

“Two...” Seven looked struck, but she didn't care.

“I take back what I said before,” she continued on ruthlessly, voice raising in volume. “I _don't_ prefer you this way, and I wish you never changed!”

For obvious reasons, her outburst had drawn the attention of those around them. “Is everything okay here?” asked Wendy, tentatively, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

Her voice was like nails on metal. In a bid not to deck her, Two closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing.

Seven got up and stood before her but didn't dare touch her.

“I'm sorry, Two. It was never my intention to ruin this outing for you. I didn't quite understand what was happening here. You were just so tense, so I decided to help you relax a bit the only way that I knew how.”

The fact that Seven ignored Wendy for once helped greatly in keeping herself in control. And her words. Now that she understood _why_ Seven had acted the way she did, she was willing to forgive her. And she also realized a lot of this was her own fault. She should've just told Seven this was a date in the first place. They should have talked this through as soon as Five suggested it. That way she could've (hopefully) worked out her nerves and insecurities before they even got here.

Opening her eyes, she saw Seven peering at her intently, guilt written all over her face. Most of the time she was annoyed or unnerved that Seven never had any expressions...in this case, it broke her heart a little, particularly because _she_ was the cause.

Without thought, Two pulled her into a hug then and despite Seven's harder than average physique, she found it comforting. It took a couple of seconds for Seven to reciprocate, likely confused by the gesture. She was struck with the notion that they had never embraced like this before and that Seven had probably never been hugged...ever. The only other person she herself had hugged was Five, and only after times that she had almost died.

“No, _I'm_ sorry, Seven. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that.”

Seven squeezed her tighter. In truth, it was too tight and Two felt like her rib cage was being crushed, but she didn't want to break away just yet. “I probably deserved it.”

“No, you didn't,” she replied breathlessly. “You were being an obnoxious flirt, but that's no excuse for my behaviour. Although, I might still have to kick your ass later on.”

She could feel Seven smiling into her neck and she relaxed some more. “Kinky.”

Two rolled her eyes. Reluctantly she ended the hug so that she could take a proper breath. “That's _so_ not what I meant, and you know it.”

Seven smirked at her and then cocked her head to the side towards their table. “Should we give this another try? Or do you want to terrorize a different planet?”

“Oh, shut up,” she said, shoving her lightly, unable to stop her own smile.

Then she reclaimed her former spot, patting the space beside her. Seven sauntered over and sat down, gathering their drinks. She handed one to Two and then clinked them.

“To us,” said Seven sincerely. “May we always find our way back to each other.”

Surprisingly, rather than try to downplay the moment, Two reciprocated. “I'll drink to that.”

When they kissed this time, she felt as though something was different. Like they had a newfound respect and understanding for one another.

She just hoped the toast would be as binding as a contract, that nothing would break them apart in future.

Only time would tell.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, there is one more chapter. ;)


	11. Search and Destroy

“What's up?” asked Two as she entered the bridge.

“I've just received a distress call from a nearby ship.”

“Who sent it?”

“I can't determine that at this time.”

Seven felt strange about lying to Two, but it was necessary.

“You think it's a trap?”

“That is a possibility, yes,” she replied. “If you decide to investigate, I would advise caution.”

“It's not just up to me anymore,” said Two. “What do _you_ think we should do?”

“Someone may need our help. It is our duty to engage them.”

Two nodded. “Set a course for their location.”

“Okay.”

Less than a second later they were on their way.

“Make sure the guns are ready to go just in case.” Two tapped her comm and informed the others of the situation. Various grumbles from all around. Then Two looked at her and said, “That was some good food last night. I'm still full.” She patted her stomach. “Who knew we could be such good cooks?”

“Yes, it was quite enjoyable,” she replied curtly, mind on other imminent matters.

Two touched her arm. “Hey, is something wrong?”

“What gave you the impression that something is wrong?”

“I don't know...you just seem a little off.”

“I'm perfectly fine,” she assured her. Before Two could pursue this further, she added, “We're approaching the target now. Stand by for close range scans.”

“Well?” prompted Two when she didn't give her update.

“The ship is structurally intact. However, life support has been shut off and the air locks are open. There don't appear to be any life signs.”

“Then who the hell sent the distress call?” asked Two, mindlessly palming her sidearm, as if she could shoot an invisible foe. “This doesn't make any sense.”

It made perfect sense to Seven but she didn't want to explain the situation just yet.

“Perhaps they sent the call before they vented out their atmosphere?” suggested Seven. In all likelihood this _is_ what happened.

“Why the hell would they do that?” said Two incredulously.

“Perhaps there was a biological contaminate onboard and they wished to eradicate the threat?”

Seven knew this to be another lie.

Two tapped her comm again. “Hey, Five, could you come down here? We need your opinion. Five?”

“Is there a problem?” she inquired, knowing full well what the issue was, considering she caused it.

“Huh, that's weird. She's not responding. I'm going to go check up on her.”

“I'll continue to scan the area,” she informed Two.

Once Two's footsteps turned down the corridor, Seven took off in the opposite direction, towards the Marauder. Everything proceeded smoothly until Three showed up.

“What are doing in here, android?” he asked her from the still open hatch.

She turned in her seat to note that he had a hand on one of his guns. Most assuredly he would shoot her if she told him the truth. So instead she walked over to him and said, “I've been tasked with a rescue mission.”

“On your own?” he said suspiciously.

“The ship is highly unstable,” she informed him. “It would be unsafe for anyone else to attempt a rescue.”

“I'm going to ask Tw-”

Rather than shut off his comm as well, she simply shoved him out of the Marauder. He went flying into the side of the Raza and crumpled to the floor. Whether or not she was successful, there would be a reckoning. For a second she hesitated to proceed further, but then bolstered herself.

Seven closed the hatch before she even got back to the console and after a few more commands, the Marauder took flight.

Without the aid of the Raza's scanning capabilities, she had to rely solely on sight through the narrow viewfinder of the Marauder. Even with her perfect eyesight, this task could prove to be tedious. There were a lot of bloated (and in some cases, exploded) bodies floating around the ship. It was a verifiable graveyard.

The Raza attempted to contact her numerous times as she surveyed the area. Focused solely on her search, she ignored all attempts at communication.

Finally she noted some movement and directed the Marauder closer. She knew she had found her target when she noted that they weren't wearing a suit.

When she was right beside them, she manually forced the Marauder's hatch open, warning lights frenziedly flashing and beeping. What little atmosphere was present, immediately was sucked into the infinite dark matter.

A few seconds later, a hand latched onto the opening, the rest of the body following soon after.

A familiar, smiling face greeted her.

She helped them aboard and then closed the hatch. There was still no air though, so they could not communicate vocally yet. That would have to wait until they redocked on the Raza. Assuming Two and Five let her that is. She had forfeited control over their main ship as soon as she left it.

They were allowed to dock.

However, every member, minus Five, had a gun pointed at the opening of the Marauder, halting further progress.

“What the hell are you _doing_ , Seven?” demanded Two, clear anger and hurt etched across her features. “First you cut off our comms, then you attack Three, and now you've brought some guy - who should be _dead_ \- from the _Galactic_ _Authority_ no less, onto our ship! I want answers. Now!”

“Seven?” he said. “You've chosen a name for yourself too. A bit unconventional, but I like it.”

“This is Victor,” she told them, gaze specifically directed towards Two. “He's an android. Like me.”

As predicted, Two was the only one who reacted to that first piece of information.

“Oh hell no,” said Three, raising both of his guns to head height. “One of you is too much as it is. Your fugitive friends got to go, android.”

“I'm with Three on this one,” said Two. “He can't stay onboard with us. They'll hunt us down too if he does. That _used_ to be something that concerned you.”

“He doesn't have to be a passenger for very long,” she reasoned. “We simply need to drop him off at the nearest port and-”

“He murdered an entire fleet of officers, android! They'll stop at nothing to find out who helped him escape justice! I say we put a bullet in his brain and hand over the corpse to the GA. As a show of good will.”

“I only did what I had to do to survive,” said Victor, taking a step closer. “Surely you understand that?”

“Take another step, I dare you!” snarled Three. “I got no qualms about killing you!”

“Don't shoot him,” ordered Two.

For a moment Seven thought Two had changed her mind and was now on her side. However, that illusion was shattered almost immediately.

“When the salvage team comes around, they'll be able to tell that the bullet didn't come from one of their standard issued guns. It'll raise suspicions. Which defeats the whole purpose of leaving him behind.”

“Two, _please_ ,” she implored. “He's my friend. He helped me to discover my true self. All of my feelings for you, everything we are, we owe to him. We can't repay that kindness by leaving him here to die.”

“Yes, we can,” responded Two coldly. “And we will. He's _not_ coming with us, Seven.” She gestured off to the side with her gun. “ _You_ however, _are_. We're going down to the holding cell. You've proven yourself to be untrustworthy and dangerous. I can't have you roaming the ship until I figure out what's wrong with you.”

“There's nothing wrong with me, Two,” she said, rather taken aback by her harshness. Yes, she had acted brashly, but they were a team, weren't they?

“I beg to differ. The Seven I know wouldn't have stabbed us in the back like this. She wouldn't have _lied_.”

“Hardly the first time,” scoffed Three. “Or had you forgotten her last cover up?”

“She's definitely malfunctioning,” said Five. “It's so obvious. I may need to reset her neural matrix back to factory default.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” said Six, handing her an old fashioned instrument for crude lobotomies.

Then they all started to advance on her.

“No, you can't!” she exclaimed. “I'm your friend! Victor! Victor, help me!”

But Victor was nowhere to be found.

The next moment she was strapped down to the medical bay table, futilely struggling against the restraints. Three and Six pinned her arms and legs down for good measure.

“You didn't really think I actually cared for you, did you?” chuckled Two. “How could I? You're a machine. Nothing more. I was just having some fun.” She hooked an arm around Three's waist. “I need a real man to give me what I need.”

“You brought this upon yourself,” they all said.

Five shoved the tool up her nose and-

“Whoa!” said Two from beside her as she jolted upright.

Seven lashed out but Two dodged, just barely.

“Hey. Hey! It's me, Seven! It's me! You're safe! You're okay!”

She blinked to further awareness, and realized she was in bed with Two. Then it all came back to her. Earlier that day she had installed some more illegal technology that would allow her to dream.

Using the tablet beside the bed, Two turned on the main light. She looked to Seven, placing a comforting hand on her thigh. “I'm guessing that upgrade worked a little too well.”

Seven felt jittery, like humans would after consuming large amounts of coffee.

“I believe it was more like a nightmare. A number of my greatest fears came to life.”

Two gave her a pitying look, rubbing her thigh. “That must have been rough. Do you want to talk about it?”

_You didn't really think I actually cared for you, did you?_ kept echoing throughout her neural matrix, unnerving and saddening her.

While she didn't really feel ready for the following conversation, she simply had to know. To be reassured.

She held Two's gaze as she said, “What are we to one another, Two?”

“How do you mean?” said Two, raising an eyebrow.

Her heart rate had increased and her pupils had dilated, indicating she _did_ understand the question.

Still, Seven was calm - or as calm as she could be – as she pressed for clarification again.

“Do you classify our arrangement as a romantic one? Or purely sexual?”

“After San Junipero, how can you ask me that?” frowned Two, balling the sheets up in her hands. “After all of our conversations and all of my attempts to draw the real you out, how can you ask me that?!”

She seemed to have upset Two and that had not been her intent.

Two sighed. “Yes, Seven, we're in a romantic relationship. At least...” Two cast her eyes down. “on _my_ part we are.”

She took Two's hand and brought it up to her lips. A gesture she had never used before. “Mine as well.”

Two raised her gaze back to hers. They smiled at one another.

“So...where do we go from here?” asked Two.

Seven took her face in her hands. “Wherever we wish to."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it folks. I didn't want it to get too sappy so I ended it here.   
> I'm starting to notice a trend in my fics. They inevitably end up having a dream sequence in them. I wonder what that means? :p  
> Anyway, thanks for coming along on this journey with me. :)


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